Prostate Cancer

Incidence
The prostate cancer incidence rate in Connecticut in 2010 was 137.0 per 100,000, which was higher than the national rate. Rates have fluctuated over the years and vary with race and ethnicity.

Prostate cancer incidence rates in Connecticut men, 1975-2010.

Source: Connecticut Tumor Registry

Over the entire period examined, the incidence rates in black men were considerably higher than those in white and Hispanic men. The increased risk of prostate cancer in black men is observed nationally and worldwide. The reasons are as yet unclear, but differences in genetic susceptibility, diet and other environmental factors have been suggested as contributing to this disparity. (12, 13)

Mortality
The mortality rate for prostate cancer in Connecticut men in 2010 was slightly but not significantly lower than the national rate (20.5 versus 21.8 per 100,000). There has been a steady decrease in mortality from prostate cancer since the early 1990s. Throughout the entire period the mortality rates in black men were considerably higher than those in white and Hispanic men, over double for more than half of the years covered.

While some of the disparity in mortality rates between black men and white men may be explained by differences in incidence rates, socioeconomic status, unequal access to services, higher levels of comorbidities in black men and differences in disease management, these factors do not fully explain the poorer prognosis of black men with prostate cancer, calling for more research in this area. (12, 14, 15, 16)

Prostate cancer mortality rates in Connecticut men, 1975-2010.

Source: Connecticut Department of Public Health

Survival

While there is little variation in survival by race or ethnicity, stage at diagnosis impacts prostate cancer survival rates hugely. Men diagnosed with localized (early stage) prostate cancer have survival rates comparable to the general population, whereas those diagnosed at a late stage have a relative survival rate of less than 30 percent. In Connecticut, more than 80 percent of prostate cancers are diagnosed at an early stage.

Cancer of the Prostate Gland is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in males in the developed world. (11) The American Cancer Society estimates that almost 3,000 men in Connecticut will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2013 and around 400 men will die from the disease. (6)

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